Page 154 of A Legacy of the Light

“You’re mine today, Aitken,” Tavish announces menacingly, crossing his arms.

“Excuse me?”

“You’re going to spar with Tavish today,” Reyne confirms. “You need to learn to fight an opponent who is bigger and stronger than you. This way I can properly watch and guide you.”

I swallow. The action is spotted by Tavish and his amusement thickens through the increasing rainfall.

“Where is everyone else?” I ask.

“We dismissed them. It’s just us today. I wanted you all to myself,” Tavish replies, his eyes heating.

“Into position,” Reyne commands.

“No warmup?” I challenge, selecting two wooden short swords from the training rack. Tavish selects a large practice sword that’s more than double the length of the smaller ones I arm myself with.

“Not today,” Reyne replies.

I sigh. “Alright then,” and ready myself in the middle of the ring.

“GO!” Reyne shouts from the sidelines and Tavish attacks.

With the first powerful strike of his wooden blade against mine, I know I’m going to lose.

“Not without a fight,” the quiet female voice sounds at the back of my mind. I don’t let it break my focus, but I haven’t heard it since the day in the library guiding me toward Queen Ishbel.

I grit my teeth and avoid the next swing Tavish takes with his weapon. “Elsie, watch your right side when you dodge like that. You’re leaving yourself vulnerable,” Reyne guides from the edge of the ring.

I dive low and aim one of my blades at Tavish’s ribs. He knocks my hand away with such force that the sword slips from my grip and clatters across the ground. A growl slips between my gritted teeth and Tavish chuckles darkly. He drives the pommel of his sword against my side and the air in my lungs whooshes out of me. I dodge the next punch he aims at me and work to catch my breath.

Fuck this, he’s going down.

I lunge at him, going right with my sword. As he blocks it with his own blade, I punch him in the stomach, making him curve in on himself slightly.

“Go, Elsie!” Reyne cheers from the sidelines. A fierce grin splits my face in half. I increase my pace, landing hit after hit on Tavish. But he doesn’t go down.

After a wicked kick to his legs, he snarls low in his throat. As I’m lowering my leg to the ground, he wraps a large hand around my ankle and pulls me toward him.

The foot I have grounded against the sand slips from underneath me. I land with a heavy thud, suck in a lungful of air, and prepare to move. As I’m flat on my back blinking away the rain, Tavish pins me with his heavy frame and aims the sword I lost at my throat.

“Good work, Elsie, you did well!” Reyne calls.

I expect Tavish to move so we can get off the wet ground. But he holds me still. And his eyes flare as he stares down at me.

“We’ll . . . err . . . pick up tomorrow on where to improve,” Reyne says, then retreats away from us. The noise of her feet splashing through the puddles quickly move in the opposite direction.

Tavish watches me, breathing deeply. His hazel eyes are wild with need and heat sears me at every point our bodies touch. My legs are splayed wide around him and my thighs cradle his hips.

Tavish moves the sword from my throat and replaces it with his hand.

“You’re mine,” he growls and crushes his lips to mine.

Chapter 38

Tavish’s hand tightens around my throat and he parts my lips in a desperate kiss, searing me with his intensity. I wrap my legs around him and pull him closer to me, gripping his wet shirt in my fists.

The rain pours around us, soaking us to the skin. Neither of us notice as we consume each other. I run my fingers through his hair and he grips my ass with his other hand, pulling my aching core against his hardening length.

I roll against him and he groans into my mouth, sucking on my bottom lip before biting it gently. I arch into him and he slides his hand from around my throat to cup the back of my head, where his fingers tightly grip my hair.